Holding case for bottles and the like



April 19. 1949. REYNOLDS 4 2,467,698

HOLDING CASE FOR BOTTLES AND THE LIKE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed NOV. 30,1945 FIE,1.

FEE. .2.

INVENTOR.

JAL

.HTTORZVEI.

D. P. REYNOLDS I 2, 67,698

HOLDING CASE FOR BOTTLES AND THE LIKE April 19, 1949.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed NOV. 30, 1945 BY awn/ k flTTORjVEX Patented Apr.19, 1949 HOLDING CASE FOR BOTTLES AND THE LIKE David P. Reynolds,Louisville, Ky., assignor to Reynolds Metals Company, Richmond, Va., acorporation of Delaware Application November 30, 1945, Serial No.631,887

The object of the present invention is to provide a' bottle holdingcase, for holding, for example, two dozen beverage bottles, which willbe entirely of metal so formed as to the primary body and division wallsas to have great strength. The form of the primary member is such thatit may be a single extrusion, preferably of alumimum, and the endmembers are of special form so as to be particularly adapted for theextruded primary member. Secondary division walls are separately formedand of such character that they are self-locking when applied.

By means of the invention a bottle holding case is provided which willwithstand long usage, which is entirely of metal and hence may besubjected to liquid cleaning without harm, and which is relativelyinexpensive.

The invention will be described with reference to the accompanyingdrawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the case;

Figure 2 is a side elevation;

Figure 3 is a longitudinal section on the line 3-3, of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is an end elevation;

Figure 5 is an isometric view showing the front area of the primarymember, with one of the secondary division walls in place, and one endwall in position for attachment;

Figure 6 is an enlarged fragmentary transverse section taken at a cornerof the assembled structure near an end member;

Figure 7 is an enlarged fragmentary section taken longitudinally throughthe assembled structure and showing one of the secondary division wallsnear the end of its downward movement to final position;

Figure 8 is a detail perspective view of one of the secondary divisionwalls, and

Figure 9 is a fragmentary perspective view showing a slotted and prongedarea of one of the secondary division Walls.

Referring to the drawings, the bottle icase consists of a primary bodymember which I prefer to be made of extruded aluminum and therefore itsbottom 1, side walls 2, and longitudinal division walls 3 are integral.A substantial advantage is derived by employing the extrusion methodsince the aluminum is forced through a die under very high pressure, andinasmuch as aluminum alloys may be selected, the metal is worked by itsmovement through the die, with such resulting increase in strength thatthe thickness of walls may be substantially reduced as compared withcast aluminum structures of the kind.

In the embodiment shown, three division walls 2 Claims. (01. 220-21) areemployed, and these walls are reinforced so that they may be of minimumgauge-thickness and yet have adequate strength. Thus, at the base ofeach division wall 3, a rib 3a: lies at each side of the division walland is integrally joined therewith and with the bottom wall I.Intermediate its base and top each division wall 3 is provided withopposed ribs 3x12, running longitudinally, and each diVisiOn wall issurmounted by a horizontal rib 4. Thus each division Wall has thestructural advantage of an I-beam, longitudinally reinforced at or nearits center.

The primary or body member just described may be extruded continuouslyand sections thereof cut off, each section being of the length requiredfor a bottle holding case. Each body member thus extruded will havefurther features as follows: The side walls 2 have, at their tops,L-shaped longitudinal reinforcing areas, and the side wall 2, as itjoins the bottom wall I, tapers inwardly in such manner that the bottomwall of one case may be received within the top of an underlying caseand its longitudinal margins will rest upon the horizontal leg of theL-shaped top reinforcement of each side wall. Also, as now to beexplained, the end Walls of the case are correspondingly formed andspecially adapted for stacking of a plurality of the cases.

The form of the end walls is best shown in Figures 5 and '7, and theseend walls may be cast or otherwise formed from aluminum or othersuitable metal. Each end wall, indicated at 5, has an inwardly taperedbase area at the top of which is a thickened bar-like reinforcement 5mm;also the reinforced top 6 is provided with an inner shoulder 6.1: inline with the horizontal bar 2a: of the L-shaped top reinforcements ofside Walls 2. If desired, each end wall may be shaped with a fingerrecess at l for convenient handling of the carrying cases.

The side walls 2 in addition to their reinforced top areas, are providedwith reinforced bottom areas. That is to say, immediately above thetapered and hence inwardly extending areas Ix, Figure 5, each side wallis formed with a longitudinally extending and thickened integralreinforcement, which may be of any desirable shape and cross section,but which is rectangular in the present embodiment, as shown at 2mm,Figure 8.

The relatively heavy reinforcing areas at the tops of the side walls 2and at 2am: and 3:0, may, as to each extrusion section, forming aprimary or body member of the case, be formed with apertures as at a,Figure 5, for receiving selftapping screws, or the apertures may bethreaded, and the screws will be passed through the apertures at b inthe end walls 5. This will complete the bottle holding case, with theexception of transverse or supplemental division walls 8,

One of the supplemental division walls is shown in Figure 8, at 8. Itwill be formed with spaced apertures at 9 for receiving the primarydivision walls and the latter also will be vertically slotted at [0 forreception of the supplemental division Walls. The apertures at 9 in thesupplemental division walls have shoulders to conform with the ribs 3am:of the primary division walls and also are cut with spurs 10a: projectedlaterally for frictional engagement with the sides of the primarydivision walls. This lateral projection of the spurs is automaticallyeffected in the downward movement of the supplemental division wallswhen the points of the spurs strike the areas 3mm. Thereupon thesupplemental division walls will be held against removal. They willexert frictional pressure on the primary division walls and also theywill encompass an area greater than the slots It] as to width of theslots, so that they will lie under the thickened reinforceing areas 4 ofthe primary division walls.

Thus, independently of frictional engagement the spurs will preventfalling out of the supplemental walls when the cases are inverted.

It will be understood that various modifications may be made in the formof the elements constituting the embodiment herein shown and described,without departing from the spirit of the invention, and what I claim anddesire to secure by Letters Patent being as follows:

1. An extruded metal case body, for a case adapted to hold bottles andthe like, said body being formed of a single extrusion and consisting ofa bottom wall, side walls and a plurality of division walls, the sidewalls being formed with longitudinal reinforcing ribs near the lowermargins, said lower margin of the side walls being inwardly tapered andmerging with the bottom walls, said side walls also having innershoulders near their upper ends, upon which the bottom of a like case isadapted to rest in stacking a plurality of such cases, the divisionwalls having reinforcing, longitudinally extending, thickened areasmerging with the bottom wall, and said division walls havinglongitudinally extending reinforcing thickened areas at the topsthereof, said reinforcing areas presenting bulk-faces at the ends of thebody members, serving as attachment areas for end members, end membersat the ends of the body member and having complementary attaching areasabutting said bulkifaces, and means securing said abutting areas of thebody member and end members.

2. A metal case constructed in accordance with claim 1 in which the endmembers are formed with inner shoulders near their upper ends inregister with the like shoulders of the said walls, forming therewith arectangular inner shelf, the base of each end wall being inwardlytapered in conformation with the tapered base of each side wall.

DAVID P. REYNOLDS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 267,233 Lewis Nov. '7, 18821,935,920 Schultz Nov. 21, 1933 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date451,382 Great Britain Aug. 5, 1936 515,008 Great Britain Nov. 23, 1939

